1 Corinthians Week 30

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 

Some claim some of these gifts will go from Paul’s time to eternity. His example of his youth, however, does not indicate a straight line from birth until death. There is youth to adulthood, then a line to that which is perfect or complete. He admitted that what he knew at the time of his writing was partial and incomplete. He looked forward to the time when he would know everything completely as God knew him. 

REFLECT 

There are many things in this life that are not understood. Do you look forward to the time when you will know everything completely? 

RESPOND 

When believers think of eternity with Jesus, 1 John 3:2-3 is a great passage to meditate on. The more the truth of these verses is realized, the purer the believer will seek to be in life.  

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 13:13 

¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 

Paul concluded his emphasis on love by reminding the readers that someday faith and hope would not be needed. Love, on the other hand, will be the great characteristic in heaven because God is love (see 1 John 4:7-9). Faith and hope will last but will not be needed in eternity when the reality is experienced. One’s growth in love will be even more greatly experienced in heaven.  

REFLECT 

Consider how wonderful it will be when believers see Jesus face to face. If you have confidence in doing so, use that in your witnessing by telling others you hope it will also be true for them.  

RESPOND 

Visit with a friend about the difference of the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 and the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. By emphasizing love, Paul was stressing to the Corinthians the need to have love in what they were doing in expressing their gifts. 

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 14:1-2 

¹ Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. ² For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 

Paul returned to the topic of exercising the gifts of the Spirit after he had stressed the importance of love. He wanted them to desire the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives them but they were to express them in love. Before the Bible was written, the ability to prophesy was both speaking forth the truth of God as well as giving some predictions.  

REFLECT 

Think of how blessed you are now to have God’s written word in the Bible. If you wonder what God says, check your Bible.  

RESPOND 

Visit with a friend about the contrast Paul is beginning to make in this passage. In 1 Corinthians 14:2 he emphasizes that the one speaking in a language he does not understand talks only to God. The following passage will indicate what Paul desired the Corinthians would do.  

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 14:3-4 

³ But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. ⁴ A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. 

This reveals the concern of the apostle Paul. He wanted believers to give out God’s word plainly so it would encourage and comfort others in the fellowship. The tongues-speaker would strengthen himself or herself; the prophecy-speaker would strengthen all the church members. 

REFLECT 

Even today, is it your desire to do something that only benefits you, or is it your desire to benefit others? 

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about Paul’s emphasis on serving others. See Romans 12:6-8 and count the number of times he tells about doing something for others.   

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 14:5 

⁵I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. 

Some like to point to this passage and say, “That is what we should tell Christians today.” They forget Paul was writing this about A.D. 55 before the Bible had been completed. Even at that time, it was better, Paul said, to use the gift of prophecy that would be understood by others without anyone having to interpret what was said.  

REFLECT 

Is it your desire to speak plainly to others so what you say does not have to be explained by someone else? 

RESPOND 

Visit with a friend about the matter of speaking in a language unknown by the speaker and how often it is mentioned in the Bible. It is primarily in the book of Acts where it is only seen in chapters 2 (the beginning of the New Testament Church), 10 (showing that Gentiles were accepted in the Church) and 19 (showing the followers of John the Baptist were accepted into the Church), and perhaps in chapter 8 that referred to the Samaritans who were accepted into the church. As seen in 1 Corinthians 12-14 it is seen only as Paul is attempting to correct some problems with it.